How to Elope:
The Wild & Intentional Blueprint
Everything you need to plan an unhurried, private wedding in nature—from selecting secluded overlooks across Michigan UP and the American West, to permits, family conversations, and packing checklists.
Ditching the “Wedding Industrial Complex”
An elopement is not a “cheap wedding” or a rushed courthouse secret. An elopement is an intentional decision to make your vows about the two of you, free from the performative expectations, seating chart politics, and 18-month financial anxiety of a traditional 200-person ballroom wedding.
When you strip away the cake tastings, napkin color debates, and forced small talk with distant relatives, what remains is raw, genuine presence: holding hands on a 12,000-ft ridgeline, drinking French press coffee as the fog rolls off Lake Superior, and speaking your promises in complete, sacred quiet.
Your Day, Your Rules
There is no script you have to follow. If you want to hike 8 miles in boots, do it. If you want to take a 4x4 Jeep to a secluded lake, do it.
Unhurried Pacing
We never rush from photo to photo. An 8-hour or 2-day elopement feels like a relaxed vacation where photos and 4K cinema happen organically.
Leave No Trace
We protect the wild spaces we love. Respect wildlife, stay on durable surfaces, and leave the wilderness even cleaner than we found it.
Where to Elope: Our Favorite Wild Landscapes
We guide couples across four premier terrain zones, from our home base in Michigan to the alpine peaks of Colorado and Montana.
Michigan: Upper Peninsula & Mackinac Island
Turquoise freshwater cliffs, car-free Victorian bluffs, ancient volcanic rocks, and pristine Great Lakes wilderness.
Iconic Overlooks & Spots
- •Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (sandstone sea caves)
- •Mackinac Island (limestone bluffs, carriage trails & Lake Huron vistas)
- •Black Rocks / Presque Isle (ancient volcanic basalt cliffside)
- •Porcupine Mountains (Lake of the Clouds & hemlock forests)
- •Tahquamenon Falls & Keweenaw Peninsula coastline
- •Sunset sailboat & private ferry excursions on turquoise waters
The Colorado Rockies & Alpine Passes
12,000-ft summit ridgelines, golden aspen groves, and self-solemnization freedom.
Iconic Overlooks & Spots
- •Breckenridge & Summit County high-alpine passes
- •San Juan Mountains (Ouray, Telluride, Silverton off-road basins)
- •Hidden glacial tarns and wildflower alpine meadows
- •Scenic 4x4 trails leading above treeline
Glacier National Park & Montana High Country
Towering glacial peaks, turquoise mountain lakes, and untamed American wilderness.
Iconic Overlooks & Spots
- •Going-to-the-Sun Road high-country overlooks
- •Lake McDonald pebble shores at sunrise
- •Many Glacier remote alpine cirques
- •The Lodge at Whitefish Lake & Flathead Valley
Sedona & Desert Southwest
Fiery red sandstone arches, silent canyon rims, and stargazing under desert skies.
Iconic Overlooks & Spots
- •Cathedral Rock & Bell Rock red sandstone spires
- •Private canyon twilight and cliffside sunset vows
- •4x4 red dirt trails accessing secluded slickrock shelves
- •Dark sky certified stargazing and astrophotography portraits
Permits & Marriage Licenses Demystified
1. Special Use Permits (SUP)
Public lands (National Parks, BLM land, and State Parks) often require designated ceremony permits and commercial filming compliance. We provide step-by-step instructions for your ceremony permit and coordinate our photography filings so you can feel completely confident.
2. Officiants & Witnesses
Colorado: The only state in the country with true self-solemnization—you legally marry yourselves without an officiant or witnesses (even your dog can sign with a paw print!).
Michigan & Montana: Require an officiant and two legal witnesses. Kaitlin and Cody frequently sign as your two legal witnesses.